Draft-rigging for cars



W. H. MINER. DRAFT RIGGING FOR CARS.

(No Model.)

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W. H. MINER. DRAFT RIGGING FOR CARS.

No. 549,207. Patented Nov 5,.1s95..

4 1 TNESSES. .4 IN V'E'N "fa/v I VI/I/ILLIAMHMINER' 37M U ITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

\VILLIAM I-I. MINER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-RIGGIING FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,207, dated November 5, 1895.

Application filed May 31, 1895. Serial No. 551,053. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MINER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draft Rigging for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of draft-rigging for railwaycars.

The object of my invention is to provide a double or tandem spring draft-rigging of a simple, strong, and durable construction in which the coupler or draw-bar may be conveniently removed and replaced if needed by a single workman and without the use of to the great weight of the tamden-spring draft-rigging apparatus as a Whole, the same weighing ordinarily with the draw-bar about five hundred pounds, and to the fact that as -heretofore constructed the apparatus can frequently not be removed from the car at all except as an entirety.

My invention consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of a draftrigging embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4. and 5 are cross-sections on lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Fig. 1, respectively. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of one of the draw-bar stopcastings. Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation, partly in section, showing the draw-bar and the draw-bar pocket-straps partially removed, leaving the springs and followers in place supported by the draw-bar stop-castings.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate slightly-modified con structions.

Like letters of reference are employed to indicate like parts in all the diiferent figures;

In the drawings, A A are the draw-bar timbers; A, the end sill; A the buffer-plate, and A the carrrieriron or plate secured by bolts a, having nuts a, to the draft-timbers A A at the front end thereof to support or guide the draw-bar or its front end.

B is the draw-bar.

C C are two separate draw-bar pocket-straps or extension-plates, removably secured to the rear end of the draw-bar by threaded bolts c 0, having nuts 0 c in connection with the shoulders b b on the drawbar and the corresponding shoulders or flanges c c at the extreme end of these pocket-straps or extension-plates. The draw -bar pocket-straps or extensionplates C C are further provided with spacing or abutment blocks or thimbles C 0 secured in place by removable bolts 0 0, having nuts 0 c.

D D are two tandem-arranged springs, there being also preferably two smaller tandem springs d (1 inside the larger ones D D.

F F F F are four follower-plates, there being one pair of follower-plates for the springs D dand one pair for the springs D d. To keep in position and properly support thesprings, each of the follower-plates is provided with a central hole, in which is secured, preferably by riveting, a short thimble or p f- G G are two draw-bar stop castings se cured to the inner faces of the draft-timbers andeach furnished at its upper edge with an integral flange or guide G for the followers and each provided with three integral stops 9 g g for the followers to abut against. Each of the draw bar stop castings is also provided with integral projections g 9 entering suitable gains a in the draw-bar timbers A to aid in securing the stop castings firmly to the draw bar timbers. The stopcastings are also furnished with countersinks g to receive the heads g of the bolts 9 by which the draw-bar stop-castings are secured to the draft-timbers. The draw-bar timbers A are also furnished each with a recess a to receive the draw-bar stop-casting. Each of ISO the draw-bar stop castings or plates G is also provided at its lower edge with a removable guide-plate G to support and guide the followers F F F F and through them the 5 springs. The removable guide-plates G are secured to the stop -plates G by threaded bolts each preferably furnished with two nuts the bolts g extending down through suitable holes g", formed in the stop projections g g 9 the bolts serving thus to strengthen the stop projections, as well as to secure or clamp together the stop-plate G and the guide-plate G The series of stop projections g gg also afford a proper bearing for the guide-plate G The abutment or spacer blocks C in connection with the inner end B of the drawbar, bear against the follower plates and through them transmit either a buffing strain simultaneously to both of the two tandemarranged springs or a pulling strain simultaneously to both of the two tandem-arranged springs. The followers reciprocate between the stop castings or plates G G and are supported and held in position by them in connection with their guide flanges or plates G G The draw-bar pocket-plates or extension-plates C 0 fit above and below the followers and reciprocate in respect to two tion and with respect to the other two followers when moving in the opposite direction. The followers supported and guided by the stop-plates G G and their guides G G- thus in turn support and guide the drawbar or the pocket or extension plates C O secured thereto, and the springs are supported, guided, and held in position in part by the pocket or extension plates C O and in part 40 by the followers through their thimbles f.

To remove or replace a broken draw-bar from the apparatus, I first remove the bolts 0 c, which extend through the abutment or spacing blocks or thimbles C 0 and then loosen the nuts on the bolts a, which support the carrier-iron A thus lowering the carrier-iron sufficiently to give room between the carrier-iron and the end sill A to enable the draw-bar B and its pocket-plates C O to he slipped out longitudinally. I then pull the draw-bar and the pocket or extension plates 0 C secured thereto out, leaving the springs and the followers all in place and supported by the draw -bar stop plates and their guides G G A considerable portion of the total weight of the draft-rigging is thus left in place and does not have to be lifted, handled, or removed. After the draw-bar and its extension-plates have been thus removed from the car the bolts 0 0, extending through the rear end of the draw-bar and the front end of the pocket or extension plates 0 C are removed and a new draw-bar may then be secured to the pocket or extension plates and the same slipped into place astride' the followers and springs, while the followers and springs are supported by the draw-bar stopof the followers when moving in one direccastings and their guide-plates G G The bolts 0 c are then put in place through the thimbles or spacing-blocks 0 0 as before. Ordinarily no difficulty is experienced in removing the two bolts which extend through the blocks C as thereis generally sufficient room between the upper pocket or extension plate 0 and the bottom of the car to permit the upward removal of these bolts. I may, however, provide these bolts with double nuts 0 e at their upper ends, as indicated in Fig. 9, so that the bolts may be removed downward.

Sometimes the draw-bar may be removed from the pocket or extension plates C C without removing the extension-plates from the draft-rigging by simply removing the bolts 0 c which extend through the rear end of the draw-bar and by loosening the bolts 0 c which extend through the blocks 0 C but generally this cannot be done, owing to the subend sill A or other obstruction above these bolts when the draft-rigging is in place in the car. In Fig. 8 I have shown a modification of these bolts 0 a which extend through the rear end of the draw-bar as being provided with screw-threads and double nuts at their upper ends to permit their removal downward.

The draw-bar stop plates orcastings G G are provided with removable lower guide-plates G G secured in place by screw-threaded bolts g g to facilitate the putting of the apparatus in place in the car piece by piece, and also to enable the whole draft-rigging, excepting these stop plates or castings G G, to be bodily removed from the car should occasion require, this being done by removing the bolts g" 5 of the guide-plates i G and by removing the carrier-iron A".

I claim 1. In a double or tandem spring draft rig ging, the combination with the draft timbers A A, end sill A and carrier iron A, of two draw bar stop castings or plates G, G, secured thereto and furnished each with three stop projections on their inner faces, and having an upper integral guide flange G, a removable guide plate G secured at the lower edge of each of said plates or castings G, a draw bar 13, two separate and independently removable pocket or extension plates 0 0 secured to said draw bar by removable bolts, spacing or abutment blocks C C extending between said pocket or extension plates 0 C, removable bolts 0 0 extending through said blocks C 0 four follower plates or blocks F F F F each furnished with a central hole and a pin or thimble secured therein for supporting the springs, one between each pair of followers to permit the draw bar and the pocket or extension plates secured thereto to be removed while leaving the springs and followers in place, substantially as specified.

2. In a tandem spring draft rigging, the combination with the draft timbers of two tandem arranged springs, a pair of followers IIO for each of said springs, plates G secured to the inner faces of the draft timbers and having guides G G at their upper and lower edges to support and guide the followers, and provided each with three stops for the followers to abut against, a draw bar and two separate and removable pocket plates secured to the draw bar and provided with removable abutments to bear against the followers, all four of said followers extending transversely between said plates G, G and abutting at their ends against said plates and fitting between said guides G G and said removable pocket plates fitting and reciprocating one above and one below said followers substan-- tially as specified.

' 3. In a tandem spring draft rigging, the

I combination with the draft timbers of two tandem arranged springs, a pair of followers for each of said springs, plates G secured to the inner faces of the draft timbers and having guides G G at their upper and lower edges to support and guide the followers, and provided each with three stops for the followers to abut against, a draw bar and two separate and removable pocket plates secured to the draw bar and provided with removable abutments to bear against the followers, said followers having pins or projections to support the springs when the drawbar and pocket plates are removed, all four of said followers extending transversely between said plates G, G and abutting at their ends against said plates and fitting between said guides G G and said removable pocket plates fitting and reciprocating one above and one below said followers substantially as specified.

abutments to bear against the followers, said guides G at the lower edges of said plates G G being removably secured thereto, substantially as specified.

5. In a tandem spring draft rigging, the combination with the draft timbers of two tandem arranged springs, a pair of followers for each of said springs, plates G secured to the inner faces of the draft timbers and having guides G G at their upper and lower edges to support and guide the followers, and provided each withvthree stops for the fol lowers to abut against, a draw bar and two separate and removable pocket plates secured to the draw bar and provided with removable abutments to bear against the followers, said followers being provided with central holes and having separate hollow pins or thimbles secured therein to support the springs at each end of the springs, all four of said followers extending transversely between said plates G, G and abutting at their ends against said plates and fitting between said guides G G and said removable pocket plates fitting and reciprocating one above and one below said followers substantially as specified.

6. The combination with the draft timbers A A, and sill A and carrier iron A of draw bar 13, two separate removable pocket plates 0 O secured thereto, spacing or abutment blocks 0 0 between said pockets 0 G to bear against said followers, removable bolts for securing said blocks 0 (l in position and clamping said pocket plates together, tandem springs D D, followers F, F, F F having central pins f, drawbar stop castings or plates G G having each a guide flange G and a removable guide plate G stops 9, g, 9 the rear end of said draw bar serving as the abutment to bear against the front follower, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM H, MINER.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, Enw. S. EVARTS. 

